Kids today almost never play outside, which can result in some serious health, cognitive and emotional issues. As outdoor play has declined in America, the use of ADHD prescription drugs has skyrocketed to new highs and kids in the USA weigh more than ever with a full 15% of children hitting the overweight mark and 16% reaching obesity. Of course, childhood weight problems are associated with a host of health problems, but kids who miss out on outdoor play and adventures also miss out on building independence and also may not be as eco-minded as kids who do get a healthy dose of outside time. CLIF Kids, maker of organic snacks for active kids, aims to help solve the growing problem of kids being raised indoors with their annual Backyard Game of the Year Contest. This excellent contest, now in it's third year, encourages kids ages 6-12 to get outside and explore outdoor play by inventing their very own backyard game for a chance to win fun prizes. This is an amazing contest with fun and prizes your kid will love. Keep reading to learn more about the prizes and how to enter, plus see last year's backyard game winner.

Backyard Game of the Year Contest Basics

CLIF Kids’ 3rd Annual Backyard Game of the Year is a nationwide contest. Individual kids between the ages of 6-12 may enter the contest with a game they invent. The game doesn’t have to be fancy, or use special equipment, it just has to be fun, creative, active and played outside. Stacy Tornio, co-author of the book The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book: 448 Great Things to Do in Nature Before You Grow Up and one of this year’s judges, notes, “Kids exercise their creativity using tablets and mobile phones every day. Wouldn’t it also be great if we helped them explore their imaginations in nature? Encouraging kids to play outside is a fun and healthy way for them to build valuable skills that they will use into adulthood.”

Individual & Group Categories

In past years, only individual kids have been invited to enter this contest. This year however, there’s a brand new group category that encourages any U.S.-based group that works with kids to submit a new backyard game idea. Groups can include school classrooms, sports teams, clubs, organizations, non-profits and others, but at least two kids between the ages of 6 and 12 years must be involved with designing the game idea to qualify. This new category is meant to promote teamwork and community and groups will be competing for the chance to win donation money to the non-profit of their choice that supports kids’ health and well-being. As in previous years, the individual kid category is specifically designed to allow individual kids to create a backyard game and compete for prizes. This individual category is focused on helping kids ignite their creativity, and will award kids with scholarships to promote their continued exploration and growth.